Acting Police Commissioner General Kim Jongcheol Tightens Drive for Organizational Reform; Dedicated Police Reform Body to Launch This Week

[Financial News] Acting Commissioner General Kim Jongcheol received work briefings from all bureaus and offices of the Korean National Police Agency during his first weekend in office and reviewed key issues. The agency will provide training for all employees this month in preparation for the amended Criminal Procedure Act of the Republic of Korea and review a personnel system to prevent the departure of outstanding investigators. A dedicated body tasked with pursuing fundamental police reform will be launched this week.
The Korean National Police Agency said on the 6th that Acting Commissioner General Kim received work briefings from each bureau and office from the previous day through that day. The weekend briefings were held to accelerate preparations for the implementation of the amended Criminal Procedure Act of the Republic of Korea and police reform, which he had announced at a nationwide police leadership meeting on the 3rd.
The dedicated body for pursuing police reform will be launched this week. It will be headed by a senior superintendent, while its specific structure and direction will be disclosed when it is launched.
Acting Commissioner General Kim said, "The police organization can change only when the field changes, and only then can the public feel that the police have changed." He instructed officials to continuously check and improve each work system and ensure that there were no gaps in the command and supervision structure.
He also called for active support to eliminate unnecessary duties in the field and practices that impose excessive performance demands, allowing frontline officers to focus on their core responsibilities.
Follow-up measures for implementing the amended Criminal Procedure Act of the Republic of Korea were also a key focus of the review. After receiving a progress report, Acting Commissioner General Kim said, "It is important for field personnel to clearly understand the changed investigative procedures and implement them in the field." He ordered that the relevant information be shared with all employees and that sufficient training be provided in September.
The agency will also review ways to manage investigative personnel so that the changed criminal justice system can take root in the field. Acting Commissioner General Kim instructed officials to consider a personnel system that would allow outstanding personnel with the necessary capabilities and sense of duty to continue working in investigative divisions rather than leave them. Specific measures will be discussed at next week's meeting of the task force on follow-up measures for the amended Criminal Procedure Act of the Republic of Korea, which Kim will chair.
Acting Commissioner General Kim told each bureau and office, "The police's most important role is to protect people's lives." He added, "Please actively communicate with and support the field so that not only institutional improvements but also the work currently under way can be carried out faithfully by frontline police officers."
After receiving a report that, as of August, the number of traffic accident fatalities had fallen by about 100 from the previous year, he stressed, "Reducing traffic accident fatalities is a representative task through which the police save people's lives." He then ordered continued efforts in traffic law compliance, enforcement and facility improvements to do more to protect the public's lives and safety from traffic accidents.
He also emphasized that police activities should not be limited to enforcement or investigations. Saying that prevention, victim protection and post-incident support must be organically linked, Acting Commissioner General Kim instructed officials to actively consult with relevant agencies to improve laws and systems and secure personnel and budgets so that frontline officers can properly carry out these duties.
[email protected] Kim Yeji Reporter